Apparatus for controlling sand in wells



Nov. 29, 1955 G, F ABENDRQTH ET AL 2,725,107

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING SAND IN WELLS Original Filed May 22. 1953 APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING SAND IN WELLS `Gruss Farmer Abendroth, Shreveport, and William T.

Original application May 22, 1953, Serial No. 356,824. Divided and this application July 23, 1954, Serial No. 445,244

3 claims. (ci. 16e-s1) The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for controlling sand in wells. More particularly, the invention is directed to the gravel packing of wells. In its more specific aspects, the invention is directed to a method and apparatus suitable for use in wells in which a tubing string is arranged.

This application is a divisional application of Serial No. 356,824, iiled May 22, 1953, in the names of Guss F. Abendroth, William T. Ilfrey, and Gilbert H. Tausch and entitled Method and Apparatus for Controlling Sand in Wells.

The present invention may be described brieily as involving a method for gravel packing a well having a casing traversing a producing formation and having a tubing string arranged in the casing terminating in an open end at a point above the bottom of the casing. The invention contemplates perforating the casing at a point below the open end of the tubing string corresponding to the producing formation and then washing from the casing sand which has been produced from the formation through the perforations with the formation iiuid and as a result of which a cavity is formed. A screen and liner is lowered through the open end of the tubing string and arranged in the casing adjacent the perforation. Gravel as a suspension in a fluid is then ilowed downwardly through the tubing string and deposited in the casing below the tubing string. The gravel is then squeezed through the perforations around the casing while maintaining the screen and liner free of gravel to form a pack around the casing and in the casing around the screen and liner. A path of flow is established from the formation through the pack and into the screen and liner and thence into the tubing string.

The apparatus which accomplishes gravel packing through a tubing string involves a screen and liner which comprises an elongated perforated section having r a closed end. A cap slidably engages and fits into an open end of the elongated member, the cap being provided with at least a lateral opening communicating with the interior of the cap. The opening has a surface defining an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the cap and has a spaced apart surface defining a right angle with the longitudinal axis of the cap. A cylindrical sleeve embraces at least a portion of the cap, and an insert member having surfaces corresponding with the surfaces of the opening in the cap is arranged in the opening to provide a space between the acute angle surface of the opening and the acute angle surface of the insert member. The insert member has an extension member which extends along the cylindrical sleeve and is attached to the cylindrical sleeve and to the cap. A frangible means, which may be a shear pin, releases the cap from the elongated section when weight is set down on the cap to rupture the frangible means and engage the acute angle surfaces between the opening and the insert member so that the insert member is forced from the opening and the cap is released.

nited States Patent O "ice In gravel packing wells, it is customary to refer to the material employed to pack wells as gravel. Itis understood that this is finely divided particulate material, and the term, grave embraces the material commonly employed in gravel packing oil and water wells.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which Figs. 1a to 1e represent a step-wise procedure in gravel packing a well;

Fig. 2 is a view in partial section of the improved screen and liner;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe insert member of Fig. 2 apart from the apparatus of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral 11 designates a casing in a borehole in an earth formation which extends into and traverses a producing formation 12 from which oil is to'be produced. 1 It is to be understood that the casing 11 is suitably anchored'in the well by cementing, as is conventional procedure. Arranged in the casing 11 is a tubing string 13 provided with a plurality of slotted openings 14 adjacent its lower end 15. The lower end 15 is ared, and immediately above the lower end 15 is an offset section 16, the purpose of which will be described further.

In Fig. la illustrating our invention, a gun perforator 17 is lowered through the tubing string 13 on an electrical'cable 17a and red through the casing 11, as shown by the arrows, to form perforations 18 and to penetrate the formation 12. The perforating gun 17 is of the type of the so-called small tubing gun perforator, that is, a gun perforator which may be lowered through a tubing such as 14 while the tubing remains in the casing. The gun perforator 17, after firing to form the perforations 18, may be withdrawn to the earths surface through the tubing 14 by electric cable 17a or, in some instances, firing ofthe gun may destroy the gun perforator 17 and require only retrieving of the cable 17a. In any event, in Fig. la, the well is cased with a casing 11 and the tubing string 13 arranged therein, and thereafter A the perforations 18 are formed. After the formation 12 has been perforated, fluid is produced therefrom along with sand which flows through perforations 18 into the casing 11. This sand has to be removed. As a result of the sand being produced, a cavity such as 24 may be formed in formation 12.

When it is desired to wash sand out of the casing 11 which has been produced from the formation 12, in accordance with our invention, an extension member 19 is lowered into the tubing string 14 on a wire line 20. This extension member 19 is suitably provided with a sealing means, such as a deformable or iiexible cup 19a, which engages with the interior walls of the tubing string 13 to seal the extension member 19 therein and to form a passageway from above the slots l14 toy the bottom of the casing 11. The extension member 19 is provided with centering means or centralizers l21, which may expand into the offset 16 to hold the extension member 19 in the tubing string 13. Thereafter the wire line 20, which has been attached to the extension member 19 by suitable wellknown engaging means 22, is released therefrom and the wire line 20 and the engaging means 22 withdrawn from the hole. A suitable fluid, such as salt or fresh water and the like, may then be pumped down through the tubing string 13 and out the open end 23 thereof and following the flow indicated by the arrows washes the sand which has entered the casing 11 through the perforations 18 from the formation 12. The sand is washed up the annulus 25 between the tubing string 13 and the casing 11. The sand produced from the formation 12 thus causes the formation of the cavity 24. This series of operations is illustrated@ Fia 1b.

After the cavity 24 has been formed, as has been described, the extension member 19 is retrieved by suitable retrieving means on a wireline, not'shown, anda screen andl liner26 is lowered through the tubing 13V on wire line 20, as shown in Fig. lc,` to the bottom of the casing 11. The screen and liner 26 is provided with centralizers or centering means 2,7 which are designed to engage with the interior walls of the casing `11. The wire line 20 connected to a cap 28 of the screen and liner 26 by engaging means 29 is releasedy and withdrawn from the tubing 13, leaving the screen and liner in the tubing and casing, as shown in Fig. 1d.

Gravel or nely divided particulate material as a suitable suspension is then flowed downwardly through the tubing string 13 and outwardly through the slots 14 and around the screen and liner 26. Thereafter, pressure is exerted on the tubing 13, the annulus 25, and on the gravel deposited in the casing, and the gravel is forced out through the perforations 18 to fill the cavity 24 as shown. The cap 28 vcloses the `upper en d of screen and liner 26 and prevents gravel from entering into the screen and liner 2 6; the lower end 28a of screen and liner 26 is closed. Thus a pack generally indicated by numeral 24a is formed around the screen and liner 26 and around the casing 11.

In accordance with our invention, the cap 28 is then released from the screen and liner 26 byY bearing down on the cap 28 tol rupture a shear pin or shear pins 30 which hold the cap 28 to the elongated perforated section 26a of the screen and liner 26. The wire line 20 is then lowered into the tubing screen 13 and the engaging means 29 latched to the fishing neck 31. With the breaking of shear pins 30 by weight imposed on the cap, the cap moves downwardly, as will be described, to release the cap 28 from the elongated screen section 2.6. The cap 28 is then withdrawn from the hole, as shown in Fig. le, leaving the screen and liner 26 with a gravel pack 24a surrounding it and the casing 11. Production is then had from the formation 12 through the pack 24a, ow being through the perforations 18, thence into the' screen and liner 26 and upwardly through the tubing 13.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the elongated section 26a has a cap member 28 which its into the open upper end 40 in sliding engagement therewith. The cap 28 is provided with a plurality of openings 41. The openings 41 have a surface 42 which defines an acute angle with the longitudinal axis 43 of the cap 28. The opening 41 also has a surface 44 which defines a right angle with the axis 43. Arranged in the opening 41 is an insert member 45 which has a surface 46 which corresponds with the surface 42 and a surface 47 which corresponds with the surface 44. The insert member has an extension member 48 which is arranged in a recess 49 of sleeve 50 which embraces the lower portion of the cap 28.y The extension member 49 'and the sleeve 50 are connected to the cap 28 through a shear pin or frangible means 30.

The surface 42 and the surface 46 provide a space S1 when the cap is in engagement with the upper end 40 of the screen section 26a. The upper end 40 of the screen section 26a has a recess 52 which receives a shoulder 53 of the insert member 45. To release` the cap 28 from the screen section 26a, weight is placed onthe cap 28 by setting down weights on a wire line which may be connected thereto which causes the shear pins 30 to shear, which then allows the cap 28 by virtue of the weight thereon to slide downwardly throughvthe sleeve 50. The surface 42 is forced against the surface 46 which, by virtue of their wedge shape, causes the insert member to pop ou of the opening 41. The cap 28 is then free and may b retrieved from the tubing 13 by the wire line 20, as has been described.

The invention is quite useful in gravel packing wells through a tubing string because the present invention eliminates the need for a drilling rig in gravel packing. This is advantageous since, when sand production'is encountered in the completion of a well, it is necessary at present either to hold the drilling rig on the well until production is obtained or to move the drilling rig off and to move a workover rig on if the well sands up. With our invention only employing a small gun perforator, an extension member and the improved screen and liner, it is possible to control sand in a well by means of wire line equipment and eliminate the need for a rig.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what We wish to claim as new and useful and to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A screen and liner for gravel packing a well which comprises an elongated perforated section having a closed end, a cap slidably engaging with and tting into an open end of said elongated section provided with at least a lateral opening communicating with the interior of said cap, 'said opening having a surface defining an acute angle with the longitudinal aXis of said cap and having a spaced apart surface defining a right angle with the longitudinal axis of said cap, a cylindrical sleeve forming the upper end of said perforated section embracing at least a portion of said cap, an insert member having surfaces corresponding with the surfaces of the opening in said cap and arranged in the opening to provide a space kbetween the acute angle surface of the opening and the acute angle surface of the insert member and having an extension member extending along said cylindrical sleeve, and a frangible means connecting said extension member of said insert member to said sleeve and to the cap for releasing said cap from said elongated section, said frangible means being ruptured by setting down weight on said cap whereby the` acute angle surfaces between the opening and the insert member engage and said insert member is forced from said opening.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the cap is provided with a fishing neck for retrieving said cap from the well.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the cylindrical sleeve is provided with at least a recess to receive the extension member, and the upper end of the perforated section below the cylindrical sleeve is provided with at least a recess to receive a shoulder on the insert member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,224,538 Eckel et al. Dec. 10, 1940 2,297,308 Layne Sept. 29, 1942 2,299,057 McClain Oct. 13, 1942 

1. A SCREEN AND LINER FOR GRAVEL PACKING A WELL WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED PERFORATED SECTION HAVING A CLOSED END, A CAP SLIDABLY ENGAGING WITH AND FITTING INTO AN OPEN END OF SAID ELONGATED SECTION PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST A LATERAL OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CAP, SAID OPENING HAVING A SURFACE DEFINING AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CAP AND HAVING A SPACED APART SURFACE DEFINING A RIGHT ANGLE WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CAP, A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE FORMING THE UPPER END OF SAID PERFORATED SECTION EMBRACING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID CAP, AN INSERT MEMBER HAVING SURFACES CORRESPONDING WITH THE SURFACES OF THE OPENING IN SAID CAP AND ARRANGED IN THE OPENING TO PROVIDE A SPACE BETWEEN THE ACUTE ANGLE SURFACE OF THE OPENING AND THE ACUTE ANGLE SURFACE OF THE INSERT MEMBER AND HAVING AN EXTENSION MEMBER EXTENDING ALONG SAID CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE, AND A FRANGIBLE MEANS CONNECTING SAID EXTENSION MEMBER OF SAID INSERT MEMBER TO SAID SLEEVE AND TO THE CAP FOR RELEASING SAID CAP FROM SAID ELONGATED SECTION, SAID FRANGIBLE MEANS BEING RUPTURED BY SETTING DOWN WEIGHT ON SAID CAP WHEREBY THE ACUTE ANGLE SURFACES BETWEEN THE OPENING AND THE INSERT MEMBER ENGAGE AND SAID INSERT MEMBER IS FORCED FROM SAID OPENING. 